Best Gifts for Travelers

As the holidays roll around again, we want to share with you our ideas for gifts for that special traveler on your list. The gifts I have chosen cost from hundreds of dollars to under a five-spot, so we offer something for everyone’s budget.

An iPad
Just the thing for traveling because on this lightweight iPad tablet, you will have a computer, a movie viewer, and a reader. Think about not having to carry books with you as you travel. You can use your Apple iPad Tablet (32GB, Wi-Fi) on the plane or at your destination to catch up on your email, read your favorite book, do a little work, or watch movies. The high-resolution, 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display on an iPad is remarkably crisp, making it perfect for web browsing, watching movies, or viewing photos. Slightly smaller than a magazine, the iPad takes advantage of the fastest Wi-Fi networks. It automatically locates available Wi-Fi networks which you can join with just a few taps. This iPad also comes with Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR which lets you connect to devices like wireless headphones or the Apple wireless keyboard. My two traveling sisters-in-law each bought their own iPad this year and now they can’t live without it. This is just a hint to my own special Santa.

Five-Zone Watches
When traveling, it is always nice to know what time it is back home. We found these unique watches at a locally owned watch seller, GeorgeTime Watches. The 5-Zone watch, available with a black or red strap, is great for the world traveler who wants to know what time it is everywhere in the world.

Handy Travel Camera
Unless you are a professional, you don’t need all the bells and whistles on the camera you take with you on your travels. We have this fantastic Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 Digital Camera that takes great photos and has a wonderful zoom feature so we can take great panorama shots. We use this camera for photos for our website as well as for our personal albums. The shots are spectacular and best of all, it is lightweight and easy to carry while sightseeing.

Travel Books
Travelers love to read about the places they are traveling to next, or places they have already enjoyed. They also like to dream about places they may travel to in the future. I received an advance copy of a great book for a world traveler foodie. Around the World in Eighty Meals, written by Nan Lyons of Someone is Killing the Great Chef’s of Europe fame. Nan followed the journey of Phileas Fogg who traveled around the world in 80 days (actually an adventure novel written by Jules Verne.) She ate in some wonderful dining establishments from cafes to prestigious restaurants. Nan, in her slightly off-beat and hilarious style, gives readers a snapshot of the area she visits as well as an anything-but-stuffy restaurant review. Lots of gorgeous photos and enticing recipes round out the package. I loved all the back stories of the restaurants and now understand why the classics have stood the test of time. This travel/restaurant guide reads like a novel and I enjoyed every page.

Airplane Comfort Pillow
A really practical gift is a blow-up sleeping pillow for the plane. We are rarely able to travel in business or first class, so we need to get as comfortable as possible in those teensy economy seats. I just can’t see carrying one of those pre-filled neck pillows around. They are too bulky to pack and they get dirty when carrying them through airports and rail stations – where ever you go. I have a very nice Eagle Creek Travel Gear Comfort Travel Pillow with a fleece covering (that can be washed.) It easily folds up to fit in my carry-on. I love it.

The gift of Music
I just reveived a promotional copy of Putamayo’s new CD called World Christmas Party. Featuring artists from around the world singing and playing Christmas favorites in delightful new ways, the CD is a Christmas party delight. The rhythms of South America and the Caribbean are up-beat and festive. This music will get you on your feet to dance the holidays away!

Travel Apps
Whether your favorite traveler uses an iPhone, Droid, Blackberry or any smart-phone, he or she will love a few travel apps for their trips. There are so many new apps introduced almost daily, that I can’t keep up! These are great “stocking stuffer” gifts as they are quite inexpensive. So inexpensive that you might want a few yourself! Here are a some that caught my eye.

FlightTrack by Mobiata gives a lot of information in an easily understandable format and offers terrific maps.
Pre-flight, you can check the scheduled departure time and delay information. In the air, FlightTrack shows the airspeed, arrival gate, baggage carousel number, present altitude, a shortcut to the airline’s phone number, and the local time and temperature of the departure and arrival cities. Available for the iPhone and Droid at $4.99